Widgets Magazine
Page 102 of 116 FirstFirst ... 252979899100101102103104105106107 ... LastLast
Results 2,526 to 2,550 of 2876

Thread: Wheeler District

  1. Default Re: Wheeler District

    Quote Originally Posted by Canoe View Post
    I wish there was something we could do. I love trees.
    100%. You and me both.

  2. #2527

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    In all fairness, they are planting a ton of trees in the neighborhood. No reason to think they won't do that on the east side of the development once it starts.

  3. Default Re: Wheeler District

    Quote Originally Posted by Canoe View Post
    I wish there was something we could do. I love trees.
    I know, I'm still not following why the trees are being cut. If anything, we should be planting trees not cutting them with the lot setting empty for 10+ years. Makes no sense to me.

    If it's a homeless issue, then they need to secure their property not cut down the trees. But that's my opinion.
    Oklahoma City, the RENAISSANCE CITY!

  4. #2529

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    From this (Saturday) morning:





  5. Default Re: Wheeler District

    Well that sucks. I hope they are planning on doing something soon in this area. Otherwise it just seems senseless to remove the trees.

  6. #2531

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    ^

    You can see the huge piles of trash.

    I'm sure this was to do something about the huge, incredibly trashy homeless camp that was growing by the day.

    When I recently stumbled upon it, it was pretty shocking. I bet people using the path felt unsafe and I saw a bunch of trash being thrown/blown into the river.

  7. Default Re: Wheeler District

    I can confirm the people who were camping in there have been a consistent problem. As others have mentioned, they were throwing a ton of trash into the river. I started complaining to the city about it—and the amount of trash in general in the river—after I saw dead water fowl stuck in a bunch of the trash in that inlet. And when I say it was a lot of trash, I mean it was effectively a dump. The people have been stealing items from various areas, returning here to strip them down for metal, and then throwing the rest into the river. The camp has also been a source of drugs and violence.

    I learned about much of this after I visited a nearby homeless encampment to see if they needed anything before winter and through the course of a rambling conversation the residents told me that particular camp pictured above and another one right off Walker are known amongst the homeless population as places to avoid because of issues of violence. Depending on your perspective, either out of curiosity or stupidity, I visited both of those camps and I could immediately tell it was different than the other camps and the people here were clearly “rougher,” to say the least. There were literally dozens of stolen bike frames stacked up and stripped of their components, people making drugs in large holes in the ground, makeshift weapons laying around, etc. At the time of day I went (I think it was Sunday morning), there were only a few people present and they mostly ignored me (this is an interesting story I could tell some other time).

    Anyway, I agree that it is a major shame the trees have been taken down. I don’t know if the camp is the reason they were taken down, but I can confirm that camp has been an issue on multiple fronts.

  8. #2533

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Of course oklahomas only way of dealing with it was destroying more nature.

  9. #2534

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    ^

    There are also massive liability issues for both the Wheeler District and the city.

    I try very hard to be compassionate and nonjudgmental, but when I walked through that area it was one of the very few times in my life that I've felt unsafe.

    I should have taken photos because it was nothing less than appalling.

  10. #2535

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Here are some closer looks at the mountains of trash:








  11. #2536

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    ^

    There are also massive liability issues for both the Wheeler District and the city.

    I try very hard to be compassionate and nonjudgmental, but when I walked through that area it was one of the very few times in my life that I've felt unsafe.

    I should have taken photos because it was nothing less than appalling.
    It just sucks that they couldn’t have cleared the underbrush and left the trees. That could alleviate some security issues and preserve the area for a future park when the Wheeler District gets extended east.

  12. #2537

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Clear the underbrush and install bright lighting. A few of those temporary job site diesel-run light arrays (they even make solar) run every night for about a month would move them along somewhere else. Senseless and maddening to not pursue some other recourse before literally a scorched earth approach. Those trees had to have been 20-30 years old?

  13. #2538

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    At least. Probably 30+ some of them.

  14. Default Re: Wheeler District

    Quote Originally Posted by catch22 View Post
    Clear the underbrush and install bright lighting. A few of those temporary job site diesel-run light arrays (they even make solar) run every night for about a month would move them along somewhere else. Senseless and maddening to not pursue some other recourse before literally a scorched earth approach. Those trees had to have been 20-30 years old?
    The lighting equipment would be dismantled and sold for parts within 12 hours.

  15. #2540

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    As opposed to dismantling 30 years of beautiful trees within 12 hours to toss in a landfill. They really showed us...

  16. #2541

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Wheeler will end up planting hundreds of trees on this parcel, just as they already have done on the other side of Western.

  17. #2542

    Default Re: Wheeler District





  18. #2543

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    Wheeler will end up planting hundreds of trees on this parcel, just as they already have done on the other side of Western.
    It doesn’t hurt to have existing semi mature tree growth. What they planted will take 10+ years to reach the tree cover these old trees did. I don’t mean to keep beating this horse but I’m sick of seeing constant clear cutting around the metro. At least Edmond implemented a tree cutting policy. There’s a tree genocide happening in LA everywhere I look a massive, beautiful tree is being cut down.

  19. #2544

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Keep in mind that purposely planted trees live longer, look better and can grow very quickly. They often replace trees that are prone to disease, are not very attractive, etc.

    I remember the outrage about Bicentennial Park and now the trees are very nice and will be much nicer than what was there before.


    Like everything else, we simply know much more about landscape design and trees/plants than we did even 20 years ago. Look how awesome the Myriads Gardens is now, and those were all planted trees and plants.

    It can suck in the short term, but beyond that professionally landscaped areas are always going to be better.

  20. #2545

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Yes I suspect the current planted trees will grow faster but hopefully still be resilient to higher winds and storms like native trees. I don’t think this patch of trees was watered or maintained so I’d guess they were at least 30 years. Any trees that are planted and watered should reach this growth quicker.

  21. #2546

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    I frequently use that trail and at least a dozen times have had run-ins with dogs that would come out of that wooded area and bark and chase me down. It was quite frustrating and a little scary. Hopefully these occurrences will decrease with this demolition…

  22. #2547

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	BDEDFECF-8367-4F6C-BA64-6650D480C47E.jpeg 
Views:	126 
Size:	3.98 MB 
ID:	17432

    This is the inlet right by Pete’s pics above from tonight. A few of the campers have migrated over under the Western Ave bridge.

  23. #2548

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
    From this (Saturday) morning:




    I really, really hate this for our city. It has happened dozens of times.

    Other cities manage to be giant and awesome and pro-business and pro-growth and protect trees, like ATLANTA! You have to obtain a variance there to fell a tree anywhere in city limits. As a result, the city has a beautiful mature canopy of various hardwood and pine trees that resembles some of the greatest wilderness areas of southeastern Oklahoma.

    By contrast, Oklahoma developers seem content to scar and denude the land, creating barren landscapes while increasing the intensity of the urban heat island, planting only the bare minimum landscaping required to shimmy past city code.

    This city has been indiscriminately felling trees for generations. It is literally ingrained into the psyches and culture of the city. Shame on Blair Humphreys and his family for this utter lack of imagination. And pity the dwindling wildlife in our city that are seeing their habitats rapidly and systematically destroyed. I would love to watch him pontificate about this at some ULI convention.

  24. #2549

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Quote Originally Posted by Plutonic Panda View Post
    Yes I suspect the current planted trees will grow faster but hopefully still be resilient to higher winds and storms like native trees. I don’t think this patch of trees was watered or maintained so I’d guess they were at least 30 years. Any trees that are planted and watered should reach this growth quicker.
    Sorry to break it to you, but it will take well over a decade to establish anything remotely resembling that grove of trees. And native trees that have survived our harsh weather are genetically superior to something from a nursery.

    Again, the worst aspect of this is the loss of urban wildlife habitat.

  25. #2550

    Default Re: Wheeler District

    Quote Originally Posted by soonerguru View Post
    Sorry to break it to you, but it will take well over a decade to establish anything remotely resembling that grove of trees. And native trees that have survived our harsh weather are genetically superior to something from a nursery.

    Again, the worst aspect of this is the loss of urban wildlife habitat.
    You aren’t breaking anything to me I already said that lol. I agree with you this is horrible. It’s beyond frustrating.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 45 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 45 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Downtown OKC video contest
    By metro in forum General Civic Issues
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 05-19-2009, 04:30 PM
  2. More problems for downtown Tulsa
    By metro in forum Suburban & Other OK Communities
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 08-16-2007, 08:58 AM
  3. Wichita Looks to Downtown OKC
    By floater in forum General Civic Issues
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 08-30-2005, 01:02 PM
  4. Ford Center/NCAA Tournament
    By Patrick in forum General Civic Issues
    Replies: 47
    Last Post: 03-23-2005, 11:55 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Single Sign On provided by vBSSO